Do You Really Need A Shopify Store Mobile App?

We are not here to state the obvious. We all know how eCommerce has been on the rise lately and there’s absolutely no stopping it. But what’s also becoming evident is how shopping on the mobile is increasingly becoming a trend. The rise of mCommerce hasn’t gone unnoticed by even the likes of Business Insider. According to them, mCommerce is all set to disrupt mainstream eCommerce to make it easier for people to shop on their phones with a host of technologies. But does that really mean you need a Shopify store mobile app right away?

The growth of mCommerce

With people spending 90% of their time on smartphones, mobile has become a major channel for shopping. In fact, as forecasts have it, mCommerce is all set to take over the conventional desktop eCommerce in the coming time.

According to BI Intelligence, mCommerce will reach a whopping $284 billion market share; implying that 45% of the total eCommerce sales will be made on mobile, by 2020.

Is a responsive mobile site enough?

Making an eCommerce site that is mobile responsive is the first solution that most stores choose. It is a cost effective way to address the changing consumer behaviour. However, the level of functionality that a mobile site can offer is limited.

As of today, only 15% of the consumers browse through products and complete a purchase using a mobile friendly eCommerce site. The rest of them tend to get irritated by the interface and abandon the process mid way.

The reason?

Mobile friendly sites for Shopify stores are not able to offer them an intuitive platform for browsing through various product ranges or completing a purchase. There are many factors like the load time, limited product information and network availability that make it harder for a customer to complete a purchase.

That’s where a Shopify store mobile app comes in.

But having a mobile app for your eCommerce store comes with its own set of challenges. To start with, developing an app is time consuming and might eat into your resources. Then there is user acquisition, engagement, retention and of course further growth of your app amidst the rising competition on the app stores.

So is having a Shopify store mobile app worth the investment?

Do you need a Shopify store mobile app?

1. Will your customers see value in your app?

About 39% of consumers have 1-2 retail apps on their phone. There are also those who have more than 5 retail apps of the frequent brands they purchase products from. This is where ‘knowing’ your customer comes into play. Analyse their eCommerce journey or conduct a survey to understand if they are willing to set aside space for your mobile app on their phone. After all, you want to be doubly sure before investing in a Shopify store mobile app.

2. Do some of your products go unexplored?

As a general pattern, how many of your products do customers browse through before leaving or making a purchase? Is there a range that often goes unnoticed, no matter how much you try to promote it using email marketing, social media and other tactics? Desktop users tend to visit an eCommerce site only to complete a task – say for instance, buy a specific product that they need. On the other hand, mobile users are more likely to browse through products and explore more options in their ‘free time’.

3. Are your emails going unread?

The number one tactic that most eCommerce stores use to promote discounts and sales, is email marketing. But that’s exactly what all the other brands are doing as well and then there are newsletters that your customer may have subscribed to as well. Simply put, there is a high chance of your email being missed or deleted without a read.

That’s where push notifications have proven to deliver a higher open and click through rates for retail stores. By targeting your customers with the right message at the right time, you can encourage them to shop from your store even while on the go!

4. Do you need more social exposure?

Let’s face it. Almost all your target customers are active social media users and having a brand presence on the channels is as important as getting direct sales on your store. Now how many times do you really log into your Facebook account or your Instagram on the desktop? Rarely.

With mobile apps, you can use social integrations to generate brand exposure. You can display feeds from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube to promote different aspects of your product.

5. Are you able to personalize your customer’s shopping experience?

About 75% of consumers say that they are more likely to do business with a brand that pays attention to their changing needs. They expect eCommerce stores to not just make it easy for them to make a purchase, but also understand their preferences and personalize their experience going forward.

With a smart Shopify store mobile app, you can personalize product and inventory displayed to a user, based on their previous interaction.

You can also leverage contextual marketing tactics like sending price drop alerts, custom offers on wish listed products and cart recovery messages using push notifications. Delivering the message in a timely manner, on a device they are making use of on a regular basis is far more effective than waiting for them to open an email.

6. Can you keep your customers engaged?

So a customer just purchased a product from your eCommerce store. Apart from receiving an order confirmation message and an email, are you able to touch base with your customer and keep him interested?

Using push notifications, you can send real time alerts on order status and at the same time, also nudge them to check out your other products. Even Amazon uses this tactic to keep its customer engaged and having them look forward to the order being delivered.

7. Are your mobile consumers dropping off at checkout?

You’ve done your best to ensure that the checkout process on your mobile friendly site is as optimized as possible. But imagine having to browse through the Amazon mobile site and completing a purchase vs how you do it in an app. With a Shopify store mobile app, you can offer your customers smart payment modes and a native checkout process that is completely seamless.

The answer?

If you ask us, the answer is a big YES.

To grow your Shopify store in a mobile dominant industry, it is important to create a mobile app. It is not just about offering your customers a more intuitive way of shopping, but also about making your brand stick when there are thousands of online stores being launched every day.

A mobile app is your opportunity to leverage mCommerce in your favour, keep your customer engaged and at the same time, grow your sales.

There are Shopify stores like Bailey’s Blossoms and Sniper Gang that are generating thousands of dollars in revenue today. And all it took them was to create a mobile app for their customers!

Do you think mobile apps are a necessity for Shopify stores now?